Capacity-building for creatives: How CREATEPhilippines x MIPAM works to foster a stronger performing arts ecosystem

With the wealth of creative talent that the Philippines has, especially in the performing arts, it is perplexing and even frustrating to see how little this has parlayed into the country’s profile as a bigger player in the global scene. The local performing arts industry remains primarily identified through singular talents who worked their way to make a name on foreign stages. 

To begin narrowing the gaps that are keeping the local industry from reaching its full potential through the synergistic development of its different sectors, the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), together with the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), organized CREATEPhilippines x Manila International Performing Arts Market (MIPAM). A capacity-building initiative that was launched in 2019, it was designed to equip Filipinos to build a sustainable career out of their creative pursuits. In the past two years, it held workshops that taught local performing artists from different sectors of the industry and across the country the more practical aspects of running a creative business, such as marketing, pitching, licensing, and more.

This year, CITEM is going bigger with this initiative in order to prime the Philippine performing arts industry for greater growth. CREATEPhilippines x MIPAM 2026 will gather various industry players into a vibrant trade marketplace where they can network with potential collaborators and investors while also introducing their bodies of work to the general public. The event will run from Sept. 11 to 13 at the Likhang Filipino Exhibition Halls and Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez of the CCP. 

While its main attraction to the public are the showcases prepared by the exhibiting artists, the CREATEPhilippines x MIPAM’s programming features components designed specifically to cater to the needs of creative individuals and organizations. 

One of them is the Business Access Corner. This is a dedicated space where exhibitors can connect directly with key government agencies, industry organizations, and business support institutions to ask questions, seek expert guidance, explore available programs and services, and identify potential sources of support for their creative businesses and projects. The following agencies and organizations will be available throughout the three days of CREATEPhilippines x MIPAM 2026 for consultation:

Department of Trade and Industry - National Capital Region office (DTI-NCRO)
Areas of support: Business registration, business development, enterprise support, and other advisory services

Exhibitors can learn more about the programs that can assist them at every stage of their business, from its starting and formalizing phases to latter levels like strengthening and scaling. 

Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL)
Areas of support: Intellectual property (IP), copyright, trademarks, and IP protection

Creatives can get guidance on how to protect, manage, and make strategic use of their IP, as well as understand locally available IP services and support.

Taxumo
Areas of support: Taxation, tax compliance, and business tax management

Entrepreneurs and freelancers alike can discover solutions and resources on how to simplify their tax processes and manage their tax responsibilities more efficiently.

Artists’ Welfare Project Inc. (AWPI)
Areas of support: Artist welfare, professional development, and industry support

Artists and creative organizations can explore opportunities on how to have better access to social benefits, health programs, capacity-building workshops, and other initiatives that can contribute to their well-being and professional growth.

Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (FILSCAP)
Areas of support: Music rights, membership, licensing, and royalties

Composers, authors, and publishers can learn how to protect and manage their musical works, as well as support the proper use and compensation of their works through licensing and royalty collection.

Aside from the Business Access Corner, exhibiting artists can also sit in on CREATEPhilippines x MIPAM’s Info Sessions, led by industry experts and insiders and covering a range of relevant topics concerning running a creative business. All sessions will be held at the Main Stage of The Tent and will be open to the public:

September 11, Day 1

10:00 am: “Music royalties and the role of collective management organization,” led by Ace Acosta of Philippine Recorded Music Rights

11:20 am: “How to do taxes as an artist: A guide to starting right,” led by Trizia Venus of TAXUMO

September 12, Day 2

9:40 am: “Ways to engage with the Australian performing arts landscape,” led by Kate Ben-Tovim and Tam Nguyen of Turning World

10:40 am: “Spaces of the future: Reimagining performing arts platforms for inclusive and sustainable creative ecosystems,” with global creative producers June Tan (Malaysia) and Madge Reyes (the Philippines), facilitated by Andrei Nikolai Pamintuan of British Council Philippines 

September 13, Day 3

10:00 am: “IP 101 : Basic IP for creatives,” led by Josephine Santiago of IPOPHL

Another programming feature of CREATEPhilippines x MIPAM 2026 designed exclusively for the benefit of the exhibitors is the business-matching component that will facilitate business-to-business (B2B) meetings. Organized by CITEM’s CREATEPhilippines brand, these meetings will have the artists and performing groups sitting down with local and international delegates—promoters, presenters, programmers, producers, and other industry partners—to explore partnerships, deals, and collaborations. The sessions will be a mix of pre-scheduled meetings arranged by CITEM based on the exhibitors’ and delegates’ profiles and identified business interests; meetings requested by the delegates through the CREATEPhilippines website’s B2B portal; and meetings initiated and arranged by exhibitors themselves with fellow exhibitors or delegates.

The organizers of CREATEPhilippines x MIPAM 2026 have high hopes that the event will yield significant developments for the participating artists, such as bookings, touring opportunities, partnerships, co-productions, licensing deals, and other business engagements. Beyond that, being able to track the results of the initiative can help all of the stakeholders pinpoint the areas where the local performing arts industry’s international market development programs can be further improved and streamlined. It will also cement the necessity of the continued investment in a Philippine performing arts market so that more creatives get encouraged to join and enjoy its benefits.

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Learn more about CREATEPhilippines x MIPAM 2026 through its official website.